2013 in Review

Without a doubt, the top story among local arts and cultural organizations in 2013 was the potential sale of pieces of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ collection to help settle Detroit’s debts.

It was early in the year when conversations began in earnest about the idea that the DIA could be forced to sell art if were included as part of the city’s bankruptcy plan.

The museum contended it was held in public trust and any such sale would cause irreparable harm to the museum’s reputation and standing in the international art community, while alienating donors. But creditors pushed for a valuation of the artwork as an asset of the city.

Early in 2013, as it was basking in the satisfaction of having won voter support the previous fall in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties for a 10-year millage producing about $23 million annually, it was pulled into another dispute — this one over the millage revenue. Seven suburban cities and 12 local finance authorities in Wayne County filed a lawsuit in February to preserve their right to take a portion of the property taxes collected for the DIA and Detroit Zoo.

DSO, Detroit Zoo news

In September, the orchestra’s COO Patricia Walker resigned to pursue new opportunities after 14 years with the organization. The DSO said it had split her duties between two other top executives and separately eliminated five other positions in order to create new relevant positions.

• The Detroit Zoo launched a seven-year "greenprint" strategic plan aimed at zero waste going to landfills and a 25 percent reduction in the zoo's energy usage by 2020, in exchanged for a $4 million investment.

New leadership

David DiChiera

Several new people took the helm of local arts and cultural organizations: